Tattooist
Candy Davis
Cathy FitzGerald is a very talented artist who has a degree in mathematics — and also a keen interest in tattooing. Five years ago, having successfully climbed the corporate ladder in marketing with a national organisation, she realised there might be more to life.
She decided to follow her dream and go in a completely new direction — as a tattoo apprentice. FitzGerald says: “Tattooing is a cross between a trade and an art form. The tattooing process and the artistic aspect are the fun parts but being a tattooist is also about a lot of sterilising, cleaning and general preparation.”
FitzGerald spends most of her day tattooing and goes home to do her artwork at night. She prepares and cleans her accessories and makes her own single-use needles every day.
“The most important aspect of tattooing is health — the health of the client and of the artist,” she says. “You spend your entire day avoiding cross-contamination but, in saying that, this work isn’t any more risky than that of a nurse.”
FitzGerald says that, because tattooing is a commercial art, with the tattooist designing what the customer requests, there is often not as much personal creativity for tattooists to express themselves.
However, she enjoys the collaborative approach and the variety of art styles in which she is now proficient. Having established her own style, she finds strong demand for her creative direction, from subject matter to art style. She explains: “You need to be a good, flexible artist and have an understanding of graphics and composition. You have to be good mechanically. You need to have steady hands, strength in your arms and be okay with handling blood … and the right personality is important. You need to be passionate about tattooing and have the honesty, empathy, assertiveness and understanding to communicate and get along well with your customer.
“People are coming to see you to get a permanent tattoo that they’ll have forever; they are not coming in to change the tyres on their car.”
And she says being a good artist does not necessarily translate to being a good tattooist; and being interested in the field does not mean having enough passion to succeed and stay there for the long haul.
“It helps if you have a fair amount of street nous too — to handle the different types of customers that come through the door,” she says.
How to be … a tattooist
To become a tattooist you usually need to undertake an apprenticeship. You should have a high level of drawing skill, and be able to produce a design portfolio. Call the Professional Tattooing Association of Australia on (03) 9749 8028.
